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The US on Friday denied reports it opposed an increase role for India in an expanded UN Security Council (UNSC) by way of a permanent membership.

“US supports India’s bid for a membership at the UN Security Council. America has always supported India as a permanent member explicitly…. I reaffirm the strong US position in this regard,” US ambassador to India Richard Verma.

India had been demanding a permanent representation at the UNSC for decades and had been pushing for the expansion of the council. However, Russia and China had opposed any such move. India would need the support of at least 129 of the 193 member-countries of the UN. However, the process requires a draft resolution to be approved by all the members. In this draft resolution, apparently, the US, China and Russia had opposed the move for any reform of the UNSC and resisted any negotiation on the issue. But a breakthrough was achieved, according to UN President Sam Kutesa, as more than 100 countries had supported the move.

On the issue of intellectual property rights, a long-standing tiff between India and the US, Verma said he was “looking forward” to the rolling out of the National Intellectual Property Rights Policy.

The Narendra Modi-led government had announced in September it would be launch such a policy soon. The ministry of commerce and industry had floated a draft policy and it was now pending for an inter-ministerial discussion.

The ambassador refused to comment on the US’ position on India’s insistence for domestic content requirement, adding that the case was with the World Trade Organization.